ACHIN - HISTORY Northern Sumatra was visited by a number of European travel lers in the middle ages, for example Marco Polo, Friar Odoric and Nicolo Conti (qq.v.). But the first voyager to visit Achin, known then by that name, was Alvaro Tellez, a captain of Tristan d'Acunha's fleet, in 1506. It was then a mere dependency of the adjoining state of Pedir. By 1526 Achin had assimilated all the other states of northern Sumatra, but its power was at its height in the time of Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607-36). At that period the territory extended from Aru opposite Malacca round the north to Benkulen on the west, 'Jo° miles of seaboard; the island of Nias with the continental states of Johor, Pahang, Kedah and Perak were subject states.
The traders of the s 7th century went to Achin for gold. The first Dutch and first English (1602) commercial ventures to the Indies were to Achin. Letters were sent from Queen Elizabeth and King James I. to the princes of Achin. But jealousy and suspicion interfered with trade and the English factory, erected several times, was not long maintained. The French at tempted unsuccessfully in 1621 to establish relations as, in spite of all difficulties, the trade was important. William Dampier (c. 1688) speaks of the number of foreign merchants settled there.
The Portuguese were constantly warring with the kings of Achin until the former lost Malacca (1641). Iskandar Muda sent 6o,000 men against Malacca in 1615, but the Portuguese held out. From 1641 four queens successively reigned over Achin, but in 1699 the Arab or fanatical party suppressed female government and put a chief of Arab blood on the throne. From that time Achin's power decayed rapidly.
After the restoration of Java to the Netherlands in 1816 a good deal of weight was attached by the neighbouring British colonies to the maintenance of influence in Achin, and in 1819 a treaty of friendship was concluded by Achin with the Calcutta Govern ment which excluded other European nationalities from fixed residence in Achin. When the British Government, in 1824, made a treaty with the Netherlands, surrendering the remaining British settlements in Sumatra in exchange for certain possessions on the continent of Asia, no reference was made in the articles to the Indian treaty of 1819; but an understanding was exchanged that it should be modified, while no proceedings hostile to Achin should be attempted by the Dutch.
This reservation was formally abandoned by the British Govern ment in a convention signed at The Hague on Nov. 2, 1871; and in March 1873 the Government of Batavia declared war upon Achin. Doubtless there was provocation, for the sultan of Achin had not kept to the understanding that he was to guarantee im munity from piracy to foreign traders; but the necessity for war was greatly doubted, even in Holland. A Dutch force landed at Achin in April 1873 and attacked the palace, but was defeated. Another attempt ended in the fall of Achin in Jan. 1874. General van der Heyden seemed to have quelled them (1878-81), but in 1896 they revolted again and not till 1898 and the succeeding year did General van Hentsz restore order. In 1901 the pre tender-sultan fled to the Gajoes, a neighbouring tribe inland and for three years heavy fighting went on. Due to the pretender's escape the Dutch have had continual trouble, and, although the coast of Achin is subdued, the interior is still independent and troublesome.
See P. J. Veth, Atchin en zijne betrekkingen tot Nederland (Leyden, 1873) ; J. A. Kruijt, Atjeh en de Atjehers (Leyden, 1877) ; Kielstra, Beschrijving van den Atjeh-oorlog (The Hague, 1885) ; Renaud, Jaar boek van het Mynwezen (1882) ; J. Jacobs, Het famille-en Kampon gleven op Groot Atjeh (Leyden, ; C. Snouck Hurgronje, De Atjehers (Batavia, 1894, trans. 1996) ; W. Volz, Nord-Sumatra; Die Gajolander (Berlin, 1912). See also Tijdschrift voor Taal en V olken kunde Nederlandsche Indie.